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Business Weekly

Business Weekly

What will get the swing states swinging? That’s the question we ask on this edition of Business Weekly as we take an in-depth look at Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas and Ohio. We find out what business leaders, activists and environmentalists in these places want from their new leader and ask whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden can deliver. We hear from Puerto Ricans and Cubans in Florida, young people in Texas and a farmer in Ohio. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

London's dirty financial secrets

London's dirty financial secrets

How some of the world's biggest banks are helping criminals launder money through the UK capital. The BBC's Andy Verity describes what a major new leak of documents tells us about the flows of dirty money through financial centres. Dr Susan Hawley from the charity Spotlight on Corruption tells us why banks and regulators aren't doing enough to stop it, and Tom Burgis, author of a new book Kleptopia: How Dirty Money is Conquering the World, explains why money laundering is a threat to democracy and freedom.

(Photo: London's financial district, Credit: Getty Images)

Venture capital in Africa

Venture capital in Africa

Funding for African tech start-ups is booming. But only if you’re not African. Odunayo Eweniyi, is the co-founder of the first online savings and investment app in West Africa, Piggyvest. She tells Tamasin Ford about how hard it was to convince Western based Venture Capitalists to invest in them. Jesse Ghansah, the Ghanaian Founder of the Fintech company, Swipe says as an African founder he’s still judged differently. Iyinolowa Aboyeji, who’s from Nigeria, set up a financing initiative called the Fund for Africa’s Future. He says rather than looking at the problem of foreign founders in Africa receiving more investment than African founders, people need to look at why it’s happening. And Adaeze Sokan, also based in, Nigeria, is the Director of Design and Strategy at Ventures Platform which is a funding initiative focused on Africa. She says that more start-up money needs to be aimed at women.

Why is fashion still not sustainable?

Why is fashion still not sustainable?

Making designer fashion more sustainable has been a cause célèbre for decades, so why hasn’t it happened yet? At the close of London Fashion Week, and just before the beginning of Paris, Tamasin Ford has been looking into why the industry hasn’t made the changes it needs. Kevin Bailey of the VF Corporation, one of the largest apparel and footwear retailers, says the industry has made great strides, while Roger Lee, of TAL apparel in Hong Kong, says a vague standards system for what counts as “sustainable” makes further progress difficult. But Christina Dean, founder of the Redress sustainable fashion awards as well as the upcycled fashion brand, the R-Collective, says companies could have already done a lot more to use re- and up-cycled materials in their new lines.

(Picture credit: Getty Creative)

Craft beer in a pandemic

Craft beer in a pandemic

Brewing, like many industries, has had to adapt during the coronavirus pandemic. And whilst this can be a logistical nightmare, the current crisis might also present some new opportunities. Elizabeth Hotson talks to beer writer, Pete Brown about the impact so far of coronavirus on craft beer. We take a socially distanced trip to East London to hear from Jon Swain, co-founder of Hackney Brewery and then cross over to Maryland in the US where Julie Verratti from Denizens Brewing explains how an aluminium can shortage is making it tough to ship her products. And in Mexico City, Jessica Martinez from Cerveceria Malteza explains how lockdown gave an unexpected boost to craft beer. Producer: Elizabeth Hotson. (Picture of beer cans by Elizabeth Hotson).

Has Coronavirus killed the nightclub?

Has Coronavirus killed the nightclub?

Nightclubs around the world are struggling to survive with social distancing guidelines. The social effect is palpable, especially for the younger generation who have grown up with club culture. BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Jamz Supernova tells Ed Butler about everything she's missing from the club scene. Meanwhile, the Night-time Industries Association's Michael Kill says they and club owners are working to convince the government to help them open up. But how would that work? Lutz Leichsenring, an advocate for Berlin nightlife says any way forward will be difficult, but this crisis should be a wake up call for cities to value their nightlife more.

(Picture: A Berlin nightclub. Picture credit: Getty Images.)

Business Weekly

Business Weekly

There are less than two months to go until the presidential election in the United States. Both candidates and parties have framed it as something of an existential fight. So, on Business Weekly we look at the big issues framing the debate. We examine the economy, immigration and healthcare and find out what a Biden Presidency or a second-term of office for President Trump could mean for these key policy areas. Plus, as the Zimbabwean government hands back some land to some evicted farmers, our reporter in Harare tells us why this is happening now and how the move has been received. And what has Covid-19 done to the Asian wedding industry? Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

US Elections: California burning

US Elections: California burning

The West Coast wildfires have lifted climate change to the top of the campaign agenda, but will it actually shift any votes? It highlights one of sharpest policy contrasts between the two presidential candidates - with Donald Trump questioning whether global warming is even a threat, while Joe Biden has a detailed $2.5 trillion plan to decarbonise the economy.

Justin Rowlatt speaks to David Banks, a former energy advisor to both President Trump and George W Bush, as well as Cheryl LaFleur, who served as an energy regulator under Barack Obama. Plus the BBC's North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher discusses electoral calculations behind each candidate's stance.

(Picture: A firefighter watches the fire burning in Monrovia, California; Credit: Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images)

US Elections: The end of Reaganomics?

US Elections: The end of Reaganomics?

Will the elections usher in a sea-change in economic thinking, after 40 years dominated by small government conservatism?

Manuela Saragosa speaks to one small government conservative - Ramesh Ponnuru of the American Enterprise Institute - who says people like him no longer have a home in either of the main political parties. Economist James Galbraith says the scale of the economic challenge posed by the pandemic could compel a much greater role for the Federal government in reviving and restructuring the economy.

But could this election prove as significant as the victory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his economic New Deal in 1932 - assuming that President Trump even loses? Political scientist Julia Azari says despite Joe Biden's reputation as an unassuming moderate party stalwart, there are parallels with his illustrious Democratic predecessor.

Producer: Laurence Knight

(Picture: A poster of a Ronald Reagan commemorative postage stamp on display as people pass by; Credit: Stephen Osman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

US Elections: Immigrants welcome?

US Elections: Immigrants welcome?

President Trump's crackdown on immigrants is popular with his core voters, but less so with corporate America.

Manuela Saragosa asks whether this nation of immigrants is about to vote to close the door to the American Dream for millions of foreigners. Among them are Indian IT workers who have been left in limbo by the sudden suspension of H-1B visas, as relayed by immigration lawyer Poorvi Chotani of LawQuest.

Theresa Cardinal Brown of the Bipartisan Policy Center says there is widespread agreement among voters that the immigration system is "broken", less so on what needs doing. Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies think tank says President Trump hasn't gone far enough. In contrast, Britta Glennon of the Wharton business school says that even the lighter restrictions under the Obama administration drove high value jobs out of the US.

(Picture: A new US citizen is sworn-in at a naturalisation ceremony in Santa Ana, California Credit: Reuters)

US Elections: What it means for healthcare

US Elections: What it means for healthcare

Voters will soon decide who will be the next President of the United States, with healthcare – both the Coronavirus response and health coverage in general - being one of the most important issues. We'll hear from one American cancer survivor who lost their coverage during the crisis, and the director of a Missouri hospital on the challenges they've faced during the pandemic. Then, Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News explains the current state of US healthcare and the differences between candidates Trump and Biden on the future of it. Though Doug Badger of the Heritage Foundation cautions that those pressing for universal healthcare in the US will be under served by a Biden presidency.

(Photo: a vigil in memory of healthcare workers who have died of Covid-19 in Alhambra, California. Credit: Getty Images)

US Elections: The view from Beijing

US Elections: The view from Beijing

Tensions with China have simmered for the past three years ever since President Trump initiated the so-called trade war.

As Ed Butler hears from tech analyst Dan Wang, the trade war could prove a death sentence for Huawei, one of China's highest-profile firms. So what is likely to change after the US election, depending on who wins? Not much, says China analyst Rui Zhong, as Beijing's priorities under President Xi appear far more domestic. And Daniel Russel, former adviser on Asia to President Obama, agrees, saying the world looks very different from that previous administration. But Ian Bremmer, chair of the Eurasia Group, counsels that the election still has huge potential for the global balance of power.

(Picture Credit: Getty Images.)

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